Underreamer.



WILLIAM W. WILSON, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

UNDEBREAMEB.. Y

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

Application led April 23,`l917. Serial No. 163,877.

To all whom; it may concern: 4

Be it known 4,that I, WILLIAM W. WILSON, a citizen of the United States.. residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles 5 and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Underreamers, of which, the following is a specification.

This invention relates to underreamers for enlarging oil well holes to permit the lowering of casing which is used for protecting the hole andv reventing invasion thereof by water and ot er fluids. Such underreamex's ale employed to ream away the circular formation beneath the casin which remains after the drilling operation y as produced tlie hole to a point beneath the lowernlost section of. the casing. Such underreamers in ordinary practice comprise in the main a hollow or chambered bodywithin which are zo disposed means for expanding and permitting collapsing of cutters or bits, which cooperate withv the bod or means thereon in such collapsing an expanding actions. Specicallly such means within the chamber in the bo y in the best practice comprise a rod within the lower or outer end of which the cutters are connected or from which the cutters are suspended, a coil spring surrounding such rodand acting u )on the same to for the cutters into expan ed ositions. The means for assembling toget er such spring and rodi and body and cutters may comprise a suitable shoulder on the body4 itself, or, accordance with better practice,

` as exemplified in Letters Patent fpreviously issued tof me upon application o Elihu C.

Wilson, No. 1,183,151, under date of May 16, 1916,*such means comprise a device passed through an elongated slot in the rod, and seated at its ends in slots or openings in the tubular or chambered body. In accordance with this co4 bination of parts and features the coil spring rests directly upon such device instead of upon the shoulder in the -body mentioned; and the spring-actuated rod and its spring may be introduced within the chamber oi* bore in the body at the lower open end thereof, instead of being introduced within said chamber at the upper end thereof, which necessitates the provision of a joint in the body to permit access to such chamber at its to This assembling of the underreamer at t e bottom or lower end is of extreme convenience and advantage in many' respects, inasmuch as the parts have frequently to be disassembled in order to remove the cutters or bits for sharpening or dressing. This cannot be done where the jointed body is used without so unjointing the body, which has many disadvantages,

taking more time and introducingthe 'factor E of `risk incident to a furtherJjoint 1n th'e string of tools including the underreamer.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide a device for so assembling together the parts and features mentioned, vwhich likewise is introduced within the elongated slot in the spring-actuated rod and furnishes a support for thespring, and isseated at its ends in slots or openings in the tubular body. This device, however, comprises a of members, disposed one above o other beneath the spring, and provided withv or including means for holdin both members in positions of service. In t e device of the patent `of May v16, 1916., mentioned, only a single part was so dis osed ,beneath the spr1ng,`and it was speci cally held in place by the spring, and the openings or slots in the body were of necessity of reater depth or were enlarged, so that the ey or cutter device could ,be introduced, with its lower wingpr extension, and such extension could be passed downwardly into the lbore and serve to prevent endwise movement of the unitary device and thereby hold such device against displacement from the body.

In accordance vwith the present invention, the assembling device or spring stop means `may be formed to fill the complete depth of the openings or slots in the wal s of the body, when assembled together andin positions of service, and the pressure of the spring is not relied upon to prevent endwise movement ci the device vin either direction or to hold such device inplace. One member is prolurallty vided with a Wing or projection received within the bore in the body and preventing endwise movement of such member, and the other member co-acts with the first named member to hold the same in position and is likewise provided with means for preventing endwise movement of said second member.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved combination of Aunderreamer parts, members and features which will be superior in point of relative simplicity1 and inexpensive-ness of construction andl organization in the respects mentioned, of incr xased convenience and facility in thc use` and which will likewise he superior in point ot durability and positiveness and etliciency in action and service.

, lVith the above and other Objectis in view, the invention consists in the ilove] and useful provision. formation, combination, association, inter-relation, vand relative arrangementof parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the dra wing, and finally pointed out in claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation of an improved underreamer constructed and organized to embody the invention, parts being broken away and sectioned for fullness of illustra.- tionLand the cutters or bit-s being shown in expanded positions;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, .the cutters or bits being shown in' contracted positions;

lFig. 3 is a transverse detail sectional view taken upon the line :v3- m3, Fig. 1, and looking1 in the direction of the appended arrows; an

Fig. 4 is a detail vvertical sectional view of the same, taken in a plane at right angles to that of the showings in Figs. 1 and 2. upon the line gi-ar, Fig. 3, and looking in'the direction ofthe appended arrows. A

Correspondingparts in all the figures are designated bythe same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, and bearin Vin mind the'general description of t e invention hereinbefore made,A designates an underreamer body provided with an internal chamber or bore rz within which is mounted an elongated rod 5 free to lay lengthwise therein excepting .as constrained b'ya coil compression spring 6. one end of w ch bears alpon an adjustable nut T at the .upper end of said rod 5 duced .into positions of service through tran'sand the other end of which is seated upon the. assembling means B' which particularly embody the invention, and rwhich are introverse slots 8 in the reamer body and an elongated slot 9 in the rod 5. Cutters C and Dare pivotally connected with an enlarged head 10 upon the-lower end of the rod 5, as

at 5, and which is disposed, in the specitit: form shown in the drawing, 1n an open mouth l1 at-the lower end of the rentner body and communicating with the bore or chamber a in the body. Such cutters suitably coperate with the sides ot the open mouth 11 and with lugs 12 projecting downwardly from the lower terminal portion of said mouth. to produce the expansion and collapsion of the cutters indicated in the drawing. This cutter mounting and action is not concerned in the issues ot the present invention.4

The assemblingmeans B comprise two members, and c, each'of which comprises an elongated key, 13 and 1,4 respectively, the key 1B being introduced ywithin the slotsfS and 9 above the key 1t, and the latter having a downwardly rangingl wing vfor extension 15 received within the bore fr, and preventing endwise movement-of the member '14. The co-engagingedgesfof said keys-',13-v

and 14 lie in a plane rangin at right angles to the longitudinal axisof t 1e reamer body,` so that there is no tendency of` either member 13 or 14 to produce a wedge action u on the other tending to displacethe same. free key or member 13 is shown specifically as prevented from endwise movement in one direction by meansof a downwardly ranging head or oti'set 16 received within a notch or recess 17 in the upper portion of the key or member 14; and is prevented from endwise movement in 'the op osite direction by a cotter pinor the like l which is passed cotter pin 1'!" is passed through the eye 1T* in the key 13. lVhen in such positions both keys substantially lill the slots 8, and both keys arc prevented from displacement until the cottcr, pin 17' is Withdrawn, in such position such keys assembling together the body A, the spring the rod 5 and the cutters C and D. In order to disassemble the parts `and features mentioned, it is only necessary to withdraw the cotter pin 1T. and drive out the key 13 `endwisc ib a direction which removes the otfset'lt from thc notch 17, The key 14 may then -be wedged up and removed from the slots 8 and t1 in either direction. endwise., In putting the keys into position, a suitable wedge or tool may be employed. pilot fashion, to be driven through the slots S and 9 under the spring. in wedge, action to raise thc spring and permit the keys ll and 13 to follow thc same and be brought into position `shown in the drawing. tinl key 14 being enteredA first and its wing or projection 15 slid doi'vn intothc bore in f to be seated attheir adapted to coperatewith said body in exiansion and collapsion; of means for assem niing together said body and spring-actuated rod and cutters comprising a plurality of members adapted to be received one above the other within the slot in said rod and ends in registering slots in said bod each of said members being provided with means forpreventing endw isc movement thereof in either direction.

2. In an underreamer, the combination, with a body having an interior chamber, a siotted spring-actuated rod in said chamber, and cutters connected with said rod and adapted to co crate with said body in expansion and co lapsion; of means for assembling together said body and spring-actuated rod and cutters comprising a plurality of members adapted to be received one above the other within the slot in said rod and to be seated at their ends in registering slots in said body; each of said members being provided with means for preventing endwise movement thereof in either direction; and said members being inter-engaged to prevent movement of one thereof in one direction.

3. In an underreamer, the combination, with a body having an inte-rior chamber, a siotted spring-actuated rod in said chamber, and cutters connected with said rod `and adapted to coperate with said body in expension and collapsion; of means for assemilingtogether said body and spring-actuated rod and cutters comprising a plurality of members adapted to be received one above the other within th@` slot'in said rod and to be seated at their ejids in registering slots in said body; one of said membersl being provided with a projection received within the chamber of the body and preventing movement oi' said member in either direction; and the other of said members being provi with means for preventing movement'thereof in either direction.

4. In an underrcamer,

the cmbination, with a body having an interior chamber, a

slotted spring-actuated rod` in said chamber and cutters connected with said rod and adapted to eoperate with said body in exansion and coilapsion; of means for assembling together said body and springactuated rod and cutters comprising a piural ity of members adapted to be received one above the other within the slot in said rod and to be seated at their ends in registering slots in saidfbody; one of said members betogether said body and ing rovided witha projection received within t e chamber of the body and preventing movement of said member in either direction; and the other of said members being provided with means for preventing move ment thereof in either direction; which said latter means are separate and one of which is detachable.

5. In an underreamer, the combination, with a body having an interior chamber` a slotted spring-actuated rod in said chamber and cutters connected with said rod and adapted to cooperate with said body in expansion and collaps'ion; of means for lsemblin together said body and springactuate rod and cutters comprising a plurality of members adapted to be received one above the other within the slot in said rod and to be seated at their ends in registerin slots in said body; one of said members ing rovided with a projection received within the chamber of the body and preventing movement of said member in either direction; and the other of.said members being provided with means for reventing movement thereof in either direction; said members having contactingedge'portions extendin at right angles to the longitudinal axis o the body:

'6. In an underreaine, the with a body having an interior chamber, a slotted spring-actuated rod in said chamber and cutters connected with said rod and adapted to coperate with said body in expansion and collapsion; of means for assemblin together said body and springactua rod and cuttters comprising a plurality of members adapted to be received one above the other withinv the slot in rod and to be seated at their ends in regis tering slots in said body; each of said members being provided with means for combination, y

prevent- 'j ingl endwise movement thereof in either d1` said ics

rection; said members jointly coperating to i revent dis ladement of eit er of the same rom said s ots.

7. In an underreamer,l the combination' with a body having an interior chamber, a slotted spring-actuated rod in said chamber` and cutters connected with said rod and out- .put to coperate with said body in expansion and collapsion; of means for assemblin springactuated ro and cutters comprising a plurality of members adapted to be receive within the slot in said rod andI to be seat at their ends in registerin slots in said body;l each of said members ein provided with means for preventing en wise movement thereof in either direction.

8. In an underreamer, the combination with e body having an interior chamber, a slotted spring-actuated rod in said chamber and cutters connected with said rod and adapted to coperate with said body in expension and eoiiapsxon; of means for assembling together said body and spring-` 10 body; each of said members being provided with means for preventing endwise moved ment thereof in either direction.

In testimony whereof` I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM W. WILSON.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND IvEs BLAKESLEE, ALFRED H. DACHLER. 

